UNION, Maine (WGME) – Police say a 17-year-old Maine boy has been arrested in connection with the slaying of a paddleboarder in Union.
Maine State Police say they arrested a 17-year-old boy on Wednesday around 10:30 p.m. in Union in connection with the death of 48-year-old Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart of Tenants Harbor.
The teen was taken to Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland. His name has not been released because he is a juvenile.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office says they are not commenting on the suspect’s specific charges at this time.
“The arrest is the result of relentless investigative work by detectives and investigators with the Maine State Police,” said Shannon Moss, the public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Police say Stewart’s body was found under “unusual circumstances” on an island on Crawford Pond around 1 a.m. on July 3 after she never returned from a solo paddleboard trip the day before. Her death was ruled a homicide.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta says her cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma. The motive for Stewart’s murder has not yet been released.
It is currently unclear if the suspect and victim knew each other.
Mic Mac Campground Owner Kathy Lunt says Stewart was a seasonal resident there. She said Stewart was looking forward to paddleboarding all summer long on Crawford Pond.
“She was just a great, great person all-around,” Union resident Meredith Smith said. “To know Sunny, I don’t think she had a bad bone in her body, and anyone that knew her was just in awe of her.”
The lack of information made public around her death put the small Maine town on edge.
“Nobody would want to hurt Sunny,” Smith said. “So, it’s kind of scary for all of us who live local to think that somebody out there, if they can do that to her, then what could possibly happen next.”
The investigation is ongoing . Maine State Police say no additional information is being released at this time.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Maine State Police at (207) 624-7076 or by texting MESPTIP to 847411.
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